A Girl and Her Ghoul
by MatureFetus
Summary: Roxanne and Charon have a strange relationship with each other. A collection of one-shots detailing a F!LW Charon friendship.
1. Sketching

**A/N:** I love writing about these two and their awkward friendship. So, this will be where I upload one-shots of Roxanne and Charon! "Eventually" was so depressing, so let's see some of their better times. No promises that I won't upload any sad one-shots.

Tbh, I kept this stuffed in the deep depths of my google drive for months. I really needed to post this lmao.

* * *

 **Sketching**

* * *

"Roxanne, please don't take that," Charon whispered.

"But it's-"

"I know it's brown, but you're still stealing."

Roxanne gave him a blank look for longer than a moment before shoving the small, brown book into her pocket, despite his words. Thankfully, nobody was around, but Charon still felt uneasy. He looked over his shoulder at the Rivet City security guard not far from them.

"Let's just get out of here before someone notices."

* * *

The pair returned to their room at the Weatherly Hotel. Charon sighed as he closed the door behind him. He watched as Roxanne sat on one of the beds. She pulled the stolen book out of her pocket and began to flip through it with a fascinated look.

"Charon, it's a blank book! I haven't seen one of these since the vault!" Roxanne jumped up and rushed towards him with excitement to show him her discovery. "Maybe we should fill in some of the pages."

"With what?"

"Maybe art?"

"I can't draw."

Roxanne giggled. "Anyone can draw. Come on, let's fill this baby up." She took his hand and led him to one of the beds. "Sit tight and I'll check my bag for a pencil."

Charon scoffed. "You could probably find a damned Deathclaw in that bag of yours."

"That would honestly be kind of amazing. That big thing in this little backpack? I could let it loose on the Enclave or something. It would be _so_ much easier than us going in and shooting them up." Roxanne rambled, mostly to herself, as she continued digging through her bag. Eventually, she found a pencil in somewhat decent condition. She sat down next to Charon on the bed, crossing her legs.

"What are you going to draw first?" Charon questioned, his face filled with curiosity. He had never seen Roxanne draw, or even knew she could.

"You'll see," she smiled, sharpening the pencil with her switchblade. "Look at me and please don't move."

Charon turned his head. Roxanne studied his face, attempting to memorize each bump and curve and color of his face. Lead finally met paper as she began to sketch. Charon's eyes tried to look down at her work in progress, but each time she noticed his stare, she would try to block his view. She continued drawing for another few minutes before speaking up.

"I'm done, I guess?" Roxanne held up the book.

"You drew me?" Charon asked.

"Well, it's supposed to be you."

Charon grabbed the book from her hands gently, and he held it to his face a little closer to examine the details of her drawing. It wasn't perfect. She outlined his face with dark lines. The shading was off. A lot of things were out of proportion. _'She tried and that's what matters. Like you could do much better.'_

Roxanne uncrossed her legs to let them dangle off the side of the bed. "You should try to draw something now."

"Fine," he sighed.

"I mean, you don't have to. It wasn't an order. I would prefer if you did something, but you can say no."

Roxanne was worried he had interpreted her words as an order. She told herself numerous times every day to be careful with how she words things around him until she figures out what to do with his contract. Giving him orders makes her feel uncomfortable. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to rid the invisible shackles of the contract from him. Currently, Charon was unresponsive. It was making Roxanne worry that she screwed up. She bit at her lip and slowly kicked her feet to make the time until Charon makes a decision pass more quickly.

When he spoke, Roxanne exhaled with relief. "I'll draw something." Roxanne handed Charon the pencil. "Can...you look at me?"

Roxanne's face brightened up as she turned her body to face him. Her chocolate-colored eyes stayed glued to his ruined face while he worked. They occasionally made eye-contact when he would look up, but it was never longer than what was needed. Charon grew more nervous the further along he got with his sketching. The closer he was to finishing, the more furrowed his brow became. Roxanne forced herself to not look down at the work, but his changing expressions had her wondering.

"I'm done."

Roxanne grinned as she looked down and grabbed the book. His illustration was about as good as hers was. He got her wiry hair down at least, with a bunch of dark scribbles. Her face shape looked a bit more rounder and her eyes were less open. Roxanne could still tell it was supposed to be her.

"It looks great," she said as she reached to hug him. She pulled away as soon as she noticed his tenseness. "Sorry, I like giving hugs too much."

It was true. Every nice thing someone has done for her, she attempted rewarding them with a hug or something similar. It was a habit she picked up in the vault. Her father, James, had always told her that hugs were special and it lets people know how much they are appreciated. In the vault, being as affectionate wasn't too much of a problem. In the Capital Wasteland, it could have her killed, and it almost had killed her before.

Charon broke the silence. "Can I keep the picture you drew?"

"Sure thing," Roxanne replied, flipping back to her art. She carefully ripped the page from the book. Roxanne flipped to the drawing of her. "If you keep mine, can I keep yours?"

Charon nodded, and she ripped his work out of the book. He took the drawing of her from her, folded it up, and put it in one of his pockets.


	2. Hair

**Hair**

* * *

Roxanne had always loved her wild, full hair. The tight black curls bounced with each step she took. Most people back in Vault 101 appreciated it, some of the women wishing they had such beautiful hair. When she was younger, Roxanne would stand in front of a mirror and jump, giggling louder each time she saw her curls move with her.

Not many can tame her mane, not even herself most days. It was difficult. One wrong cut and she will drive herself crazy trying to fix it, only making it worse. James tried to cut it once. Only once. One time was all it took for him to realize it was impossible for him to even shape it correctly. Snowflake in Underworld is one of the few people who currently can work properly on Roxanne's hair. For not having real hair, the ghoul cut hair rather well.

"So much hair! You thinkin' you may be giving some to me someday?" he would sometimes ask.

Roxanne would chuckle and reply back, "Not a chance!"

Although Snowflake working on her hair right about now would be ideal, Roxanne has been stuck at home in Megaton sick. There was absolutely no way she would risk getting attacked by mutants that usually litter the streets over some hair. Having Charon carry her all the way to Underworld was an option, but not a bright idea.

The day had hardly begun, so Roxanne was still in bed with Dogmeat curled up near her feet. She leaned up to run her fingers through Dogmeat's fur. Dogmeat lifted and turned his head to lick her forearm, causing Roxanne to smile.

"Good morning, boy," she croaked out. Sore throats were the bane of her existence; living in the wasteland only made sickness more common for Roxanne.

The movement of Roxanne's feet caused Dogmeat to get up and hop off the bed. Roxanne leaned into the bed and stretched her legs, releasing a satisfied moan. Stretching became her favorite part of waking up in the mornings. Her muscles were less tense and she felt more awake by the time she walked downstairs to see Charon, who returned her wave when she caught his attention.

Roxanne leaned against the wall next to the workbench he was currently at, working away at a possible modification for his shotgun. "Charon, I have a question. Have you ever cut hair?"

Charon stopped fiddling with parts and gave her a confused look. "Sometimes, yes. I used to cut my own."

Roxanne coughed and then grinned. "Well! Grab some scissors and help me out. It's past due for a trim for me." She didn't give him a chance to find words. Roxanne was already on her way to the kitchen for a chair.

When Roxanne returned, Charon had scissors in hand while Roxanne had a hand mirror in hers. "Roxanne, are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely." She placed the chair on the floor where there was not much clutter around. Sitting down, she still had a smile adorning her face, excited to get her mess of hair fixed up.

Charon got up from the workbench. He approached where Roxanne was sitting, then he closed his eyes and sighed. Sure, Charon had cut hair before, but not hair as thick as Roxanne's. Before becoming a ghoul, his hair was straight and fairly easy to maintain. If she couldn't cut hers the right way, what makes him think he can do any better? Still, he wanted to try. He did not want to disappoint her. She did give him the freedom to express discomfort with things she asked of him, but he wanted to try this.

So, Charon began cutting. He started with the left side of her hair, just cutting enough to get the dead ends off. Charon notched at her hair, getting it as even as he possibly could. It was a somewhat difficult task, but he managed.

"I'm done," he grumbled.

Roxanne looked in her hand mirror. She studied as much of her hair as she could with just the small mirror. ' _Not bad at all,_ ' she thought. It really wasn't bad. Charon didn't do as great of a job that Snowflake would, but he still managed to keep her hair even while cutting nearly half an inch off.

"I might have to come for you again next time I can't make it to Snowflake!"


	3. Stars

**A/N:** I got inspiration from my last chapter of The Weeping Wastes. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a try! It's still fairly early in development, but I promise it will be something big.

* * *

 **Stars**

* * *

Roxanne was relieved when her, Charon, and Dogmeat approached the end of the metro station.

They had just taken a quick trip to Underworld for a few errands. Seeing Carol again was delightful for Roxanne. Gob's letters that Roxanne would bring for her tended to deliver better news each trip, and each letter brought a peaceful look to Carol's face. Her son was alive and well, that is what mattered most to her.

Roxanne gave Snowflake the honor of giving her a quick trim. He always had a blast playing with her thick, tight curls. "Not many smoothskins would trust me with their head," he'd say occasionally. Roxanne would laugh, reassuring him that it was fine, that he was one of the few she trusted with her hair.

Winthrop was losing his mind over the amount of scrap Quinn was bringing in. The man had repairs to make, but none of the materials to make it happen. Lucky for him, Roxanne stopped by with more scrap metal. It wasn't much, but it was enough to last until Quinn's next trade.

Many thought of it as strange for Roxanne to help out Underworld so often. She wasn't usually the type to instantly lend a hand to others. Perhaps she felt more at home with the connections she's made since her first visit? Even Roxanne wasn't sure why she felt the urge to assist. She wasn't known for her kindness, but more for her morality. Always, Roxanne would put herself first. She felt it was necessary to survive outside of Vault 101. So far, it has gotten her where she is today. Roxanne has two companions she could trust, she has a home, and most importantly, she hasn't gotten herself killed yet.

Charon pushed the station's chain gate to the side as Roxanne and Dogmeat slipped through. Charon followed them. Moonlight illuminated the path in front of them as they strolled. Chances are, raiders did not have a chance to recreate their post outside of the station within the last day. That assumption was correct, there was not a soul to stop them in their tracks.

"Charon, we're not too much farther from Megaton," Roxanne started. It was true, Farragut West Metro was not a long distance. "Do you think you'll be good to make the walk there?"

"Smoothskin, I can go days without sleep. I will be fine."

Roxanne crossed her arms and huffed. "Jeez, sorry for caring for your well-being."

It had been some time since Roxanne acquired Charon's contract. She has done what she can to allow him as much freedom as the piece of paper will allow him, but he sometimes still goes back to his old, impassive ways. It made Roxanne uncomfortable whenever it happened. She has done a lot of questionable things, but owning a slave (no matter how many times Charon insists he is _not_ a slave) was something she never wanted to do. Roxanne didn't want to hand off his contract in the off chance that he ends up with another Ahzrukhal. As of right now, he seemed comfortable enough, but primarily, as long as he was safe. Charon had always questioned her why she'd concern herself with his health. Roxanne would just say something along the lines of "You're a _friend_ , you big dummy!"

A _friend_. He never would have thought of an employer as a friend. It brought up foreign feelings, feelings he wasn't supposed to feel. Charon was supposed to be a protector, a weapon, not someone to share companionship with. Nevertheless, there was not a thing he could do about it.

The walk back to Megaton was quiet, with both Roxanne and Charon lost in their own thoughts. Roxanne frustrated with Charon, and Charon frustrated with himself. Dogmeat's tail wagged with excitement as they approached Megaton. He bounced ahead of the two, thrilled to be home. Seeing the cheery dog lifted Roxanne's mood. A smile grew on her face as she chased after Dogmeat.

* * *

Wadsworth was on his charging pad, which made Roxanne sigh, glad that she did not have to engage in conversation with the Mister Handy. She was downright exhausted, sleep was a priority. Charon had already begun to take off his armor. Roxanne had the same idea. She walked up the stairs and to her room with Dogmeat following, not saying a word to Charon.

Dogmeat made himself comfortable at the foot of her bed as Roxanne removed her knife from her boot and her gun from its holster. She then unstrapped pieces of her armor to set them on top of her desk next to her weapons. Off came her pants and shirt; she could not sleep in anything but her underwear while at home. Roxanne would get too hot in the middle of the night which woke her up.

She climbed into bed and snuggled into her blanket. Roxanne let out a content noise. Before closing her eyes, she grabbed one of her extra pillows and cuddled it. Her hazel eyes seemed to glow with the moon's radiance. It has been a while since Roxanne had truly appreciated nature and the night time in full. That gave her an idea, a mostly dumb idea.

Roxanne tossed her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Dogmeat's ears pricked up at the movement, but he remained still. As quietly as Roxanne could, she threw on a shirt and snuck downstairs to find Charon. When she approached him, she noticed his eyes were closed. ' _So much for that idea_ ,' Roxanne thought with melancholy.

Just as she turned, that deep, gravelly voice spoke, startling her. "Did you need something?" Charon asked.

Roxanne turned back around to face Charon, who was now sitting fully up and looked wide awake. "O-Oh, jeez. I thought you were sleeping. Did I wake you?"

Charon ignored the question, which actually was an answer for Roxanne.

Roxanne looked down at her feet, face and ears burning. "Well, um… Would you want to go look at the stars with me?" She began to fidget a bit, rubbing her fingers together. It was an innocent offer, she just had hoped he wouldn't take it the wrong way and think less of her. Besides, she did the best that she could to phrase it to make it not an order.

Charon's face remained the same. No change in expression was made. The longer it took for him to speak the more anxious Roxanne got, leading her to regret her decision.

"Y-you know wh-what? I'm-"

"Why?" Charon interrupted.

Roxanne sat next to the couch so that she was eye-level with him. "Did I ever tell you about the first few days I left the vault? Or do you remember the times I used to shoot up Med-x? Either way, I'd do the same thing. I would sit outside, appreciating things. Just about everything is the same dusty color, but there's more to the outdoors than that!" Roxanne's worry seemed to fade as she went on. "On clear nights like this, you can see _everything_ , Charon. There's so much in the sky, so much around you. It's just so damn beautiful. I basically grew up in a metal cave with ugly fluorescent lights." She took a pause to look Charon dead in his eyes. "I've grown to appreciate things, no matter how damaged they look."

Charon wasn't expecting that kind of talk. She did give him a lot to think about. Being stuck in The Ninth Circle most of his time actually made him miss sunlight. Sure, Ahzrukhal would send him on little errands, but they were under commands. Charon's only thoughts were ' _Obey the contract holder_.' He always had his full attention on orders to avoid punishment from the contract or the holder of the contract, whether it would be from one or the other or even both.

"I'll go with you."

Roxanne grinned and grabbed his rough hand, pulling him with her. "Let's go, then!" Her openness with physical contact still made Charon flinch. This time, Roxanne seemed to not notice.

Charon hesitantly asked, "Roxanne, are you going to… make yourself decent?"

Roxanne chuckled. "You think I care of someone sees a little bit of my legs? If anyone says something rude, I'll strangle them with these very legs." The mental image caused Charon to snort.

Roxanne led Charon out of the house and to the side. Roxanne pointed. "Look, if we're careful enough, we can climb to the top. I've done it before, but I probably weigh a lot less than you." She demonstrated her idea. She scaled her way up swiftly, yet carefully. Charon observed and repeated her actions once she made it up.

"See? Not that hard. We've got the best view here!"

Charon crossed his legs while Roxanne was on her back, sprawling her body across the roof. He had to admit, the view _was_ good. The wind was a bit chilly though. It was indeed too long since Charon has ever appreciated something like this. Roxanne reached a hand out, fingers extended outward. The action caused Charon to raise his brow. Roxanne looked back at him with a soft smile.

"What? I just wish I could… I don't know. Touch them, maybe? They look so small that I could fit them all in my hands."

"I doubt you could do that, stars aren't as small as they look."

Roxanne giggled. "You're right. I remember reading about the sun a while back. You know how the sun is a star? And how big it looks?" Charon nodded his head. "Well, it's not even the _biggest_ of them all! There's loads of stars bigger than the sun. It's so weird, astronomy. Do you think we can still find working telescopes? Ohh! What if rockets become a thing again, and we can actually visit the moon or something!"

"Smoothskin, you're a damn chatterbox tonight. Are you doing chems again?"

Roxanne gasped. "A joke? From Charon? The world really is ending!"

The two of them were quiet again, checking out the night sky. There was just a hint of pink in the distance, a sunrise was soon to come. Charon ignored Roxanne's movement until her head was in his lap, causing his heartbeat to quicken. He instantly looked down and was met with her stupid grin. She knew what she was doing. First he teased her, now it was her turn to tease him.

"I swear, you're going to make me feral," he hissed out.

"Oh, come on," Roxanne said playfully as she gently brought her fist to his chest. "Lighten up a little." Strangely, he did not take that as an order.

They stayed that way for a while. Roxanne yawned quite a number of times, but remained awake. It wouldn't be too much longer until the sun will rise. The once deep blue sky was now a mixture of pinks, purples, and yellows. She was absolutely right, it was beautiful.


End file.
